Welded metal component and battery including the same

Abstract

A welded metal component, includes: a first component; a second component that is stacked on the first component and that is made of a material different from the first component; and at least one welded part that passes through the second component so as to reach the first component, wherein a proportion of an intermetallic compound present in the at least one welded part is from 15% to 60%, and the intermetallic compound includes a metal element that constitutes the first component, and a metal element that constitutes the second component. Further disclosed is a battery comprising the above welded metal component, wherein the second component serves as a bus bar, and the first component serves as an electrode for the battery.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A welded metal component, comprising:
 a first component; 
 a second component that is stacked on the first component and that is made of a material different from the first component; and 
 at least one welded part that passes through the second component to reach the first component, wherein 
 a proportion of an intermetallic compound present in the at least one welded part is from 15% to 60%, and the intermetallic compound includes a metal element that constitutes the first component, and a metal element that constitutes the second component, 
 the first component is made of copper, and the second component is made of aluminum, and 
 the intermetallic compound includes an aluminum proportion of 26% to 75%. 
 
     
     
       2. The welded metal component according to  claim 1 , wherein the proportion of the intermetallic compound is from 25% to 45%. 
     
     
       3. The welded metal component according to  claim 1 , wherein the intermetallic compound is scattered over the at least one welded part. 
     
     
       4. The welded metal component according to  claim 1 , wherein the proportion of the intermetallic compound is a proportion of an area of a compositional region, including the intermetallic compound, to an area of the at least one welded part. 
     
     
       5. The welded metal component according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one welded part on a surface of the second component is ring-shaped in plan view. 
     
     
       6. The welded metal component according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one welded part includes at least two welded parts each including a linear part in plan view. 
     
     
       7. The welded metal component according to  claim 1 , wherein those having an intermetallic-compound composition falling within a range from ±10% to ±6% of the compositional proportion of the intermetallic compound is regarded as the intermetallic compound. 
     
     
       8. A battery comprising the welded metal component according to  claim 1 , wherein the second component serves as a bus bar, and the first component serves as an electrode for the battery. 
     
     
       9. The welded metal component according to  claim 3 , wherein the intermetallic compounds are scattered and are uniformly distributed, and the sizes of one welded part are less than or comparable to 400 μm.